Texas has most out-of-compliance plants; but is improving

A Bush spokesman questioned the validity of the report (An EPA official confirmed that the study had used accurate data). But the spokesman said that if the numbers were accurate, they could be read another way to show that Texas has a higher percentage of compliance than many other states simply because it has so many industrial facilities. The percentage of volatile organic compounds fell by over 43% from 1995-1997, more than twice the national average, the spoesman said, adding that a new smog proposed plan will cut pollutants by another 90 percent.

Work in partnership with states and landowners

BUSH: In Texas we reduced our industrial waste by 11%. We ought to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, with half the money going to states. We need to have clean coal technologies. There’s a national petroleum reserve right next to Prudhoe Bay [that was good to open for its] gas reserves. There are practical things we can do. But it starts with working in collaborative effort with states. People care a lot about their land.

Texas record: cleaner air & water; toxic cleanup

Facts about Bush’s record on the environment:
• Cleaner Air:Under Bush, Texas becomes only the 3rd state in the nation to require pollution reductions & permits from grandfathered utilities. They will reduce nitrogen oxide pollution by 50% and sulfur dioxide emissions by 25% by 2003.
• <.b>Cleaning up Toxics:In just two years, Texas manufacturing facilities reduced their releases and disposal of toxics by 43 million pounds - a 14% reduction - more than all the other 49 states’ total reduction combined.
• Cleaner Water:More than 96% of Texas public drinking water meets all standards, up from 88% in 1995. In 1999, Texas provided over $55 million for water quality and supply initiatives.
• More Environmental Spending: Under Bush, state funding for natural resources increased 28% since 1994.
• State Superfund Program:Under Bush, 45 Superfund sites were cleaned and removed from the federal list. From 1985 to 1994, only 10 sites were cleaned up.

Pushed voluntary compliance in Texas instead of mandates

Houston leads US in smog, but Texas is getting cleaner

Supports voluntary contaminated waste cleanup.

Amend ESA; more flexibility; no unfunded mandates.

Bush supports the following principles regarding the environment:
• Flexibility from the federal government in enforcing & funding environmental regulations.
• Urge Congress to amend the Endangered Species Act, to limit habitats eligible to be designated endangered.
• Bush says environmental “decisions should be made at the local level” and that he is “against all unfunded federal mandates.”
• Bush says that “state environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.”

Supports electric de-reg; pollution self-audits; recycling

Gov. Bush supports the following programs regarding the environment:
• Restructure electric utilities to allow consumers to choose their power company
• Support “self-audit” incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution
• Require cost/benefit analyses to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations
• Require full compensation when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land
• Provide funding for recycling programs

Set standards based on science; and fine violators

Clean up urban brownfields, in US as in Texas

6-point plan for brownfield cleanup

Governor Bush today outlined a six-point agenda to reform efforts to clean up the environment by encouraging state and local efforts to clean and redevelop abandoned industrial sites, known as brownfields.
1. Direct the EPA to establish high standards for brownfield cleanups that will provide more flexibility than the current Superfund standards
2. Provide protection from federal liability at brownfields cleaned up under state programs that meet high federal standards
3. Focus on developing cleanup techniques and new cleanup technologies
4. Reform the Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund by cutting the red tape and block granting the funds to the states
5. Extend permanently the Brownfield cleanup tax incentive that is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2001
6. Direct active federal facilities to comply with the environmental protection laws and hold them accountable.

Cooperate with industry, instead of lawsuits & regulations